Apache Cordova is an open-source mobile development framework that allows developers to create applications for multiple platforms using a single codebase. It enables the use of standard web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to build mobile apps, which can then be deployed on platforms such as iOS, Android, and Windows. By using Apache Cordova, developers can access native device features like the camera, GPS, and file system through a unified API. This approach simplifies the development process, as it reduces the need to write separate code for each platform, making it easier to maintain and update applications.